Transportation Manager

Lowe Rental Ltd; Marchington; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Lowe Rental Ltd in the United Kingdom seeks an experienced Transport Manager to oversee in-house and sub-contract transport across Marchington and Cheltenham. You will drive operational efficiency and deliver outstanding customer service.

You will lead a team of supervisors, planners and administrators, manage budgets and KPIs, and coordinate international freight while ensuring compliance with health, safety and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing dynamic multi-site in-house and sub-contract transport operations (multiple sites, contractors, freight forwarders).
• Experience with 2-person delivery teams with onsite installation requirements.
• International freight and customs/duty management including UK/EU import/export, HS codes, commercial invoices.
• Expertise in transport management compliance, procedures and best practices.
• Strong leadership with high-level stakeholder communication.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cost budgets.
• Drive to deliver excellent customer service.
• Proven ability to identify and implement operational improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of transport KPIs.
• Strong decision making and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Transport management across multiple in-house sites, sub-contractors, and freight forwarders.
• Oversight of Lowe Europe and PKL international shipping, including import/export and regulatory compliance.
• Lead Transport Supervisors, Planners and Administrators for best-in-class execution.
• Forecast resource, fleet and maintenance planning against budgeted spend; recruit and develop staff.
• Own project costs versus budget across resources, sub-contractors and providers.
• Manage third-party hauliers and service providers to meet cost/service objectives.
• Develop and implement operational procedures and best practices; drive driver engagement.
• Propose strategies to reduce costs and improve transport procedures.
• Ensure health & safety and transport compliance across operations.

Skills

Multi-site management

Team leadership

Cost budgeting

Strategic planning

Regulatory compliance

KPIs & performance

Stakeholder communication

Problem solving

International shipping

Change management

Decision making

Job description

With over 40 years’ experience, today Lowe Rental is the world’s leading refrigeration and catering equipment supplier to major food exhibitions, sporting events and retailers across the globe; from the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix to Glastonbury.

Beijing to Boston, Berlin to Belfast, we take pride in our ability to provide innovative products and services to our impressive client base.

Purpose

The Transport Manager is a key member of the Operations management team, responsible across Lowe and PKL for overall in-house and sub-contract transport, operational efficiency, and ensuring the highest level of customer service.

Reporting to the Supply Chain Director, this role will manage Transport operations for refrigeration equipment and catering units/equipment across Marchington and Cheltenham sites.

A ‘hands on’ individual with a proven track record in leading and developing transport management teams, instilling a ‘right first time’ mentality and championing a continuous improvement culture which positively and significantly impacts the performance of both the people and the organisation.

The Transport Manager has full operational budget and KPI responsibility and will manage daily scheduling and routing of vehicles, manage in-house and sub-contractor performance, manage all transport related compliance requirements, and manage international road and ocean shipping.

Acting as an exceptional brand ambassador, the Transport Manager will help shape, evaluate and plan the short, medium and long term objectives of the business. Working internally with the Sales, Warehouse and Project Management teams to ensure that all operational needs are met, trends are identified and managed through to positive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Transport Management: Full responsibility for multiple in-house sites, sub-contract providers, and freight forwarders, overseeing the effective planning, execution and exception management of transport operations
• International Shipping: Provide oversight and expertise across Lowe Europe and PKL international shipping, including import and export operations and regulatory compliance
• Team Leadership: Lead, motivate and develop a team of Transport Supervisors, Planners and Administrators to provide best in class operational execution.
• Resource Management: Forecast short, medium and longer term resource, fleet and maintenance planning for inbound and outbound volumes against budgeted spend. Recruit, train, develop and allocate resources effectively to optimize project outcomes and maintain operational efficiency
• Budget Management: Definition, ownership and accountability for project and monthly costs v budget across in-house resources, sub-contractors, service providers and freight forwarders
• Third Party Management: Own the operational and commercial relationships with third party hauliers/service providers to ensure consistent delivery of cost and service objectives
• Continuous Improvement: Develop and implement operational procedures and best practice. Enhance driver engagement. Minimise in-transit damage. Proactively challenge and support the operations to consistently achieve excellence.
• Strategy Development: Propose and develop strategies to reduce costs and improve procedures across the transport operations. Determine optimum future in-house and sub-contract fleet/capacity requirements
• Health & Safety and Compliance: Keep our people and customers safe and adhere to all transport, handling, and installation legislation requirements. Maintain all aspects of transport compliance, and transport policies.

Key Characteristics

• Be a role model and an advocate for your own actions and behaviours and challenge and hold others to account in relation to embedding and demonstrating Lowe’s principles and values
• Commitment to maintain highest professional standards appropriate to the responsibilities of holding a senior role within Lowe Europe.
• Is an advocate for working collaboratively and collectively in pursuit of joint goals across multiple functions, bringing teams together at the right time to guarantee successful outcomes
• Has the courage to challenge the status quo and decisions that pursue short-term objectives at the expense of the overall business performance
• Highly analytical, commercial, numerical and action focused
• Ability to effectively switch between vision and strategy, and flawless detail and execution and provide constant innovation, progress, and forward-momentum at pace
• Comfortable with change, ambiguity, and able to prioritise conflicting and competing demands in complex areas

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Proven experience in managing dynamic multi-site in-house and sub-contract transport operations
• Experience of 2-person delivery teams with onsite installation requirements
• International freight and customs/duty management experience including UK/EU import and export, TSS declarations, HS coding, commercial invoices, environmental transport regulations
• Expertise in transport management compliance, procedures and best practices
• Strong leadership skills with background demonstrating high level communication with key stakeholders
• Demonstrable ability to manage cost budgets
• Drive and determination to consistently deliver excellent customer service
• Proven ability to identify, evaluate and implement operational improvement initiatives
• Strong knowledge of transport Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Strong decision making and problem-solving skills

Exceptional candidates who do not meet these criteria may be considered for the role provided they have the necessary skills and experience.

Lowe is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workforce. We are incredibly selective in our hiring and shortlisting for this vacancy will be completed on the basis of merit. Candidates should tailor their CVs to reflect our essential criteria.